Guild Wars 2

I would really, reallly, really like to see Lions Arch destroyed again.
I don’t care how it is done. Dragon’s, Asura experiments gone wrong, Destroyers, whatever… as long as it is destroyed – totally.
And then I would like to see it rebuilt more like it’s original style, a pirate base, cobbled together with scrap.

Ok, I get there are some dev’s somewhere that are really proud of their redesigned LA and may be a bit upset that I’m trying to rain of their parade. I get that. I really do. It’s just that LA as it stands today has no character, no sense of place, it just doesn’t look like it should be in Tyria.
As I understand it from the lore, a good lump of the population died the last time round. So how on earth did the remaining survivors summon up the resources to create a disney theme park (including cutey quaggans and flutey sounding water spouts) rather than the shantytown they should have been left with? I don’t get it. And I surely don’t like it.

So come on devs, have a heart and write another LApocalyspe into the living world sometime in the future and give us back our pirate town. Please.

I prefer the new one, it shows the technological progression of a civilisation. This isn’t Game of Thrones where the World doesn’t progress for thousands of years, GW2 shows a remarkable affinity for progressing both magically, and more importantly, technologically. This is a key backbone of the overall GW2 narrative and New LA is a symbol of that.

As for funding, it was funding by the equivalent of a Corporation, which seems to have considerable funds and resources. Something I hope we find out more details on someday.

I would not like to see backward progression of one of the key towns. I can’t say that it would make much sense to go back to the ugly shambles it once was, regardless of whether it had character or not.

Ragnar Stormcaller.6253:

I would really, reallly, really like to see Lions Arch destroyed again.
I don’t care how it is done. Dragon’s, Asura experiments gone wrong, Destroyers, whatever… as long as it is destroyed – totally.
And then I would like to see it rebuilt more like it’s original style, a pirate base, cobbled together with scrap.

Ok, I get there are some dev’s somewhere that are really proud of their redesigned LA and may be a bit upset that I’m trying to rain of their parade. I get that. I really do. It’s just that LA as it stands today has no character, no sense of place, it just doesn’t look like it should be in Tyria.
As I understand it from the lore, a good lump of the population died the last time round. So how on earth did the remaining survivors summon up the resources to create a disney theme park (including cutey quaggans and flutey sounding water spouts) rather than the shantytown they should have been left with? I don’t get it. And I surely don’t like it.

So come on devs, have a heart and write another LApocalyspe into the living world sometime in the future and give us back our pirate town. Please.

I definitely miss old LA as well, that place had character. The new one, although I don’t like it as much does make sense why it is theme park like, as it was largely funded by the consortium. Similar to what they did at southsun, they made it a tourist attraction on purpose.

I would like to see a whole new city develop somewhere. We keep pushing into dangerous areas where it’s hard to to see that logically happen. But, I would like to see the start of a new big city developing (or being discovered), maybe with the actual arrival in the next expac.

While I like that they rebuilt the city instead of leaving it destroyed, I am really mystified by the disney themepark look. AFAIK, the city is till run by pirates so I’m not sure who came up with the current plan and it really lost the ambiance of a “pirate city”. It would be nice if there had been some kind of story behind why it looks the way it currently does.

Wasn’t there? I thought there were various NPC all during the many months it was slowly rebuilt?

Here’s one example:

NPC Take a good look at the wreckage while you can. Soon you won’t be able to remember when the city looked like this.
Talk more
PC What’s going on around here, exactly?

NPC What you’re seeing is the long-promised revitalization of this vibrant coastal port. I’ve seen the plans, and let’s just say things are about to change a lot around here.
Talk end
PC Sounds exciting. Good luck.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Consortium

Good luck.

Ragnar Stormcaller.6253:

As I understand it from the lore, a good lump of the population died the last time round. So how on earth did the remaining survivors summon up the resources to create a disney theme park (including cutey quaggans and flutey sounding water spouts) rather than the shantytown they should have been left with? I don’t get it. And I surely don’t like it.

Outside influence – The Consortium moved in. With so many people no longer in need of accomodation, and all the slums and shantytowns cleared out, there was plenty of room for overly-rich and connected people to completely seize the city’s real estate and centrally plan a hub specifically designed to accommodate trade, defense, and tourism without having to deal with pesky already-living-there locals (Because most of them were dead) or pre-existing buildings (Because they were destroyed).

Lion’s Arch used to be a city surpassing the architectural glory of Divinity’s Reach, as the capital of Kryta, before it was destroyed and abandoned after its value as a trade center collapsed with the destruction of Orr and Ascalon – during which time the pirates and other social outcasts moved in, and then started re-establishing connections with the rebuilt Ascalon (Under Charr rule), and the two refugee-from-dragons races, re-establishing the value of Lion’s Arch as a trade center – but at this point, it was over-built with shantytowns and slums in inconvenient places.

Scarlet’s attack did nothing to destroy the value of Lion’s Arch, and actually probably saved the Captains’ Council more in demolition and restructuring costs to bring the city up to optimal trade and defenses than it cost the city in damage.

The Old New Lion’s Arch was a run-down pile of garbage built from scrap, with all the ‘character’ of a bum. The new Lion’s Arch has function, purpose, and security.

The new Lions Arch may have a lot of function and purpose, but sadly, it doesn´t really show. Old Lion’s arch was a shantytown made from recycled ships by survivors, and it showed. It has function, purpose and spirit.

IMO they shouldn’t re-destroy LA: instead, make locals begin to take it back again: give them a plot about stopping the apropiation by the Consortium; make them install more stores (non sanctioned, rogue style ones) to improve commerce in the civic area; put a lot more artisan fishing ships, some shadyly pirate-like ones and a collection of multiracial boats in the docks; add an “Old Lion’s Arch Café” made in the old recycled-ship style; etc.

Let the people use the new Lions Arch like they used the old (like a city, not like a themepark), use the conflict between the population and the Consortium spice the atmosphere, and we will have a great city map again.

It is used like a city though. At no point it is functioning or used as a theme park. Sure it has big aquatic animal buildings, but it also has a trading and crafting and eateries and cannons and working docks and fishing and even a wedding venue. It was simply not believable the ramshackle Old LA could withstand any significant threats and as it turned out..it could not.

Like it or hate it, it functions and is used by the populace, as a city as it always has. It’s just been modernised. Cities move on as technology progresses. It is an important symbol that the main inter-racial hub of the continent shows this progress.

I do however like the idea of a rebellious faction of the population fighting back against progress. That would make it more realistic, even if they would be destined to lose.

But what about all the quaggans? #savethequaggans

#quagganarethetrueevil